Guardian Venus: Child of Love
by mew-tsubaki
Summary: She's watching her princess, he's watching his prince - will they have time to notice one another? And can guardians ever make time for love? Minako/Kunzite oneshot. REVISED.


**Guardian Venus: Child of Love**

A Sailor Moon oneshot

by mew-tsubaki

Note: I do not own the _Sailor __Moon_ characters. They belong to Takeuchi Naoko-sensei. This story takes place in the Silver Millennium and contains some spoilers (I guess) for the first season (mainly from the manga). Read, review, and enjoy! P. S.—If you have the Sailor Moon R-The Maiden's Poem Collection CD, listen to "Setsunakute Ii" song. It's Minako's image single and is the background music for this fanfic.

**oOoOoOo**

"Princess! Please stop coming down to the Earth palace! It's too dangerous for you!"

Serenity stuck her tongue out at me. "I'll go home when I want to, Venus! Get off my back!" She turned around and dashed further into the forest of rose bushes after Endymion.

"Serenity…" I sighed. Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, and I all had a rough time looking after the princess, and her my-way-or-the-highway attitude didn't help us one bit.

I walked back to where Jupiter was and shook my head. "It's no use. She'll come home when she's ready," I stated as we lifted off the ground, already heading back to the Moon palace.

"That could mean never," Jupiter chuckled.

I, on the other hand, didn't laugh. Princess Serenity spending huge chunks of her time on Earth was dangerous. Not many Terrans thought kindly of those of the Moon kingdom, and I wasn't about to lose the princess just because she couldn't stand being separated from the Terran prince for a few minutes.

We landed right outside the palace and went straight into the audience chamber. Jupiter and I knelt down on our knees and bowed our heads. "My Queen Serenity," I acknowledged. As leader of the four scouts, it was my duty to report to the queen, and the other scouts usually hung back behind the sidelines since I did all the talking.

"I see," the queen began, "that you have returned without the princess. I take it you could not persuade her to come home?"

I bit my bottom lip and answered slowly. "You are right, my queen."

"She told you she would come home on her own time, did she?"

"Yes."

Both Jupiter and I heard the queen exhale deeply and looked up. Queen Serenity had a distraught expression. Obviously, she was tired of her daughter's antics.

"Queen?" I asked.

She merely shook us off with a wave of her hand. "That will be all for tonight, Venus, Jupiter. If Serenity doesn't come back tomorrow, I will send you the two of you to get her then."

As we stood, Jupiter spoke up. "Queen? If I may, there is a situation back at Io Castle on Jupiter. I have received word that I am wanted there, so I cannot be here tomorrow, seeing as how I must leave tonight."

"Fine," the queen said. "Jupiter, you are permitted to leave. Venus, take Mercury with you if you leave to get the princess."

_Mercury?_ I thought. "Where is Mars?" I inquired. Mercury was the smartest of us, but she was a frail girl, so she had never made any trips down with us to Earth before.

Queen Serenity stood and came down the small set of stairs that were placed in front of the throne. "Mars is needed at Phobos Castle to deal with a political problem. She, most likely, won't be back for the rest of the week, maybe longer. I wish you a good night's rest, my guardians," the queen finished. She disappeared down the hall to her chambers, and I thought it wise to get some sleep, as well.

"Good luck tomorrow," I said to Jupiter as I turned and headed for my own room. Who knew that we guardians could live such strenuous lives?

**oOoOoOo**

"Are you going to be all right?" I asked Mercury the next day.

She coughed again. "I'll be fine. We should be going now."

I nodded, brow furrowed, and we descended once again to that place known as Earth.

"Princess? Princess Serenity?" Mercury called.

I walked through the rose garden. "Serenity?" _Ah! __There __she __is!_ I thought. I ran up behind her and yanked on one of her pigtails. "Serenity! Do you know how much trouble you caused?" Then I blushed as I realized we were not alone. Endymion was there, as well, but one of his generals had come to fetch him. I watched as the warm gray eyes fell upon me while he took my hand and kissed it.

"Charmed," the general said. "You are Venus, the leader, correct?"

My heart was pounding a mile a minute! I hope he couldn't hear it! "Y—yes," I stuttered. "Are y—you the head general?"

"In a way, I am the prince's head guardian, so yes. My name is Kunzite." He stood up straight and I watched as his shoulder-length hair blew around him. Then I realized that when he stood up straight, he towered over me! He was even taller than the prince. Kunzite turned back to Prince Endymion. "We must go now, before the king becomes angry, Endymion."

"Kunzite!" Endymion whined, but Kunzite turned him around and pushed him forward.

I stood there, just staring at the general, when he turned back for a quick moment. He walked up to me and whispered in my ear, "You will be back tomorrow to fetch that bundle of curiosity you call a princess?" he asked.

"She will have other matters to attend to and she will be heavily guarded, so I probably won't be here tomorrow," I replied.

Kunzite brushed away the few wisps of hair that had blown in my face. "That's a shame," he commented quietly. "I wouldn't mind seeing these blue eyes again, princess or no." And then he left.

Was my face red! I could feel my spine shiver as the chills ran throughout my body still.

"Venus?" Mercury called. She was with the princess now.

My heart jumped one more time as I calmed myself down.

We went back to the palace, but I separated from Mercury and Serenity and went straight to my room. As I walked down the long corridor, I thought, _Who __knew __we __guardians __could __live __such __strenuous __lives? __And __who __knew __one __might __have __found __her __salvation?_

**oOoOoOo**

I awoke dreamily the next morning and went to my vanity mirror. Kunzite's words still rang through my mind. So he likes blue eyes. I just hoped that he wasn't a playboy. Nowadays, so many things seemed too good to be true; I just hoped that he wasn't one of them.

There was a knock on my door. "Lady Venus? We are having a celebration, and you are required to attend," the servant called. "Would you like my assistance?"

"No, thank you. I can take care of myself." I listened as the footsteps faded into the gentle hum of the palace. Hadn't they learned that any fifteen-year-old girl can dress herself?

My hands ran over the gowns that hung in my closet. Everything was orange or yellow or cut some way that I didn't like. Suddenly, my eyes flew to a beautiful blue sleeve and I yanked the outfit out. I didn't remember this outfit! What I had pulled was this slim and sleek blue sapphire gown. It was strapless, but it had a short, long-sleeve matching sweater to go over it. Hidden on the inside of the sweater was a small note card. I opened it and crimsoned. It was Kunzite!

_Lady __Guardian __Venus,_

_ I had not thought it possible to find such a dress that matches those sapphires you have for eyes, but here it is. I hope you find the dress to your liking. It certainly is to mine. See you at the gala._

—_Kunzite_

I swear my heart stopped when I finished reading his note. Kunzite had not only sent me the gown—he had hoped I would meet him at the celebration! I'd give him points for originality, though. There was one thing left on my mind as I changed: How had he delivered it to me?

I tied a matching blue ribbon in my hair and used a deep, blood red lipstick on my lips. Usually, I never bothered much with the celebrations, but this changed everything.

**oOoOoOo**

Praying that my knees didn't give out before I even saw him, I entered the ballroom, waiting to be announced.

The announcer cleared his throat. "May I present to you Lady Aino Minako, first princess of Venus and guardian to our Princess Serenity."

Few bothered to look up as I descended the staircase, but I searched the crowd for those gray eyes. I didn't see him. Miserable, I stepped to the side of the dance floor. How could I have thought that he would be waiting just for me? Then I spied a forming cluster of females, both of Moon and Earth descent, who were crowding around some guy—and _Kunzite_ was that guy being swallowed by the women.

I think I caught his eye, but—blushing—I quickly turned my head away. Unwillingly, I admitted to myself that I was involuntarily playing his game of cat-and-mouse. My heart was once again pounding in my chest, nearing the bursting point. I sat down in one of the chairs and wished for the night to be over. That's when Kunzite had slipped out of the horde to join me.

"I take it you're not a big party-goer," he said as he walked over to me with a smile on his face.

I tried to hide my blush. "I see someone else is," I replied, but it sounded a little mean. There was an odd silence between the two of us for a few minutes. Luckily, he thought of something else to say.

"Do you like the dress?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you," I replied curtly. My emotions pulsed throughout my body and controlled the tone of my voice.

A new song started and my ears perked up. It was one of my favorites: "Become a Wild Rose for You." Kunzite extended a hand. "Care to dance?"

Those eyes… I couldn't resist those eyes. They were sad, seductive, sweet, and inviting all at once and my heart would've stopped if he hadn't lifted me onto the dance floor. Then my brain checked in. "W—wait! I'm a horrible dancer! I—"

"Not to worry. If you let me guide you, you will be fine," he whispered. And he was right. As we danced to the song, our footsteps melded together. Soon, the others made way as we circled the ballroom floor, and they watched in awe. And soon, the song was over and Kunzite stopped to bow. "Thank you for the lovely dance, Lady Venus." He lifted his eyes and fixed them on mine. Ooh, there were those shivers again…

Those warm gray eyes also made me feel as though he was looking right through me. "Excuse me," I said, "but I need a little bit of fresh air." Hiding my red face, I dashed to the balcony just as a couple was leaving it, which left me alone.

I stared down at the Earth. It was a giant marble, really. Greens, blues, browns, and whites swirled together to their own tempos. But, even though they each did their own thing, they seemed to move around as though they were performing, the other colors their dance partners.

I heaved a sigh; my mind was still on Kunzite. Maybe it wasn't my mind, per say, but more like my heart. I know I've said so much about my heart today, but I had never felt like this before.

"Earth is an interesting place," a voice said from behind me, causing me to jump a little. "Would you like to see it?"

I turned around and saw Kunzite with that ever-familiar mischievous smile painted on his face. "So you _are_ a womanizer," I commented playfully.

Kunzite moved closer to me, almost pushing me out of the sight of the others, to the corner of the balcony. He still wore that grin, but there was a hint of seriousness this time. "Before, my only interests were fulfilling my role as a general and as a guardian to the prince, but you," he said, wagging his index finger at me, "you are a whole new story." I could feel the railing pressing into my back, but he was closing the gap between us, and fast.

"How old are you?" I asked. "To spend all of your time dealing with politics and Prince Endymion…"

He smiled knowingly. "To think that out of my seventeen summers, eleven of them were spent as either a guardian or a general. I made no time for ladies…until now." Kunzite's eyes spoke for him. He wanted to get to know me better, and he could tell I wanted him to get to know me better. Gently, he bent down a little and brushed my lips with his. He pulled back a little and looked at me, only to continue where he had left off.

Soon, I felt our bodies pressed together against the wall facing away from the inside of the ballroom, and his tongue darted in and out of my mouth between kisses. His hand was between my head and the stone, as if cushioning my head. After several minutes of making out, Kunzite stopped for real, but he was smiling even more now. "You surprise me, princess," he said. "You have more experience than I would've imagined."

"As do you," I retorted, "for someone who's never thought about ladies much." He kept on smiling even though I was glaring at him, at which he laughed. "What's so funny?"

"The daughter of love and beauty trying to glare at me…" Kunzite shook his head. "It's quite a sight!"

I stomped my foot. "Well! I'm sorry if this child is taking up your time." I turned to leave, but he grabbed my arm.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, Minako-chan." He pulled me into an embrace with a twirl and held me tight. "I feel as though I'm falling under your spell…"

My face grew hot as he squeezed me even _closer_ to his chest. That's when I felt his hand close around my blue bow and slip it out of my hair. I looked up at him. "Hey! That's my favorite! I only have one!"

He pressed the ribbon to his lips and inhaled deeply. "Your scent…magnolia?"

"No, orange blossom." I broke into a smile and a fit of giggles.

"What's so funny?"

"How could you confuse orange blossom for magnolia?" I asked him.

He turned pink. "A—anyone could. They're similar. I must go now, Lady Venus," he quickly added after clearing his throat, though his face was still flushed. Kunzite gave me a quick peck on the cheek and turned to go, but it was I who was grabbing the arm this time.

"It's Minako," I said. "Call me Minako."

Kunzite smiled fondly and left. Oh, how my emotions surged through me that evening! Not even becoming queen of Venus right then could top it. Oh, Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, look upon your daughter with pride and joy! She has fallen in love for the first time! I was so happy, I could not even comprehend that it also would be the last time I was to fall in love, as well.

**oOoOoOo**

The days, and eventually, the _weeks_, dragged on, not a day passing when I didn't think of Kunzite. But not a day passed that I was alone. Four weeks, it had been, since that fateful night at the celebration; it had also been four weeks since I had last seen Kunzite. But I dared not to venture down to Earth on my own as Princess Serenity had done so many times. In that way, I guess she was braver and more foolish than the rest of us. And yet, my reason for not going was justified: There had been murmurings of hordes of Terrans saying that those of the Moon were evil, and these hordes were supposed rebellions against us. So, it was safe to say it was dangerous to go down to Earth, all right?

But I missed him dearly. I wondered if he missed me, too. I wondered if he also kept my ribbon with him wherever he went. I felt somewhat sad; he had my ribbon, but I had nothing of his whatsoever. But if I had had to have anything at that moment, it would've been his strong, protective arms around me.

That's when I saw the flicker of light and the corner of the cape. It _had_ to have been Kunzite! I rushed to the balcony in my room, not bothering to throw anything over my spaghetti-strap light blue satin nightgown. My hands grasped the railing and my eyes desperately scanned the area for any sign of him. But it wasn't him. It seemed to be another general visiting Mercury's room via her balcony. Although I was a little curious to see what was going on, I went back into my room and stayed in my bed for the rest of the evening.

**oOoOoOo**

It turned out that I had to wait until the next night to see him. I woke up in the evening of the next day to find Kunzite waiting at my balcony window. I threw my sheets off and ran to open the window to let him in. He stepped inside and greeted me with a warm smile.

"I'm sorry!" I blurted. "I didn't know you were outside. How long have you been standing there?"

"No worries, Minako," he said, bending down and kissing the top of my head playfully. "It was fun watching you in your sleep. You're adorable."

I blushed and looked up at him. "I haven't seen you in ages," I commented.

Kunzite's look turned serious. "I know. There have been many things to deal with on Earth. I suppose you have heard the rumors of the rebellions?"

I nodded my head, but I was confused. Why did he bring up the rebellions?

"They're _true_, Minako. We are doing all we can to prevent a full-blown war between the Moon and Earth. It's hard…"

"That's okay," I said, trying to reassure him. "I know we'll get through it somehow. And everything will return to the way it was. No, better. The connections between the Earth and the Moon will be better! I'm sure of it!" I even put on my best smile for him to back my words. Even if it didn't make me believe myself, hopefully it would make him believe me.

Suddenly, Kunzite fell to one knee, his hand over his forehead as though he was in agonizing pain. I knelt down beside him and saw the perspiration on him; he looked as though he had been fighting this for a while.

"Kunzite, what's wrong with you?" I asked timidly.

He breathed hard and turned to me, feigning a smile of his own. "Minako…" Kunzite paused for a long minute. "Would you help me up, please?"

I did as he requested, but I looked through his eyes for an answer to my question. "Kunzite…," I whined.

"Come with me, Minako. I have some place I want to take you." He held out his hand for me and I accepted. I didn't care where we went, as long as I was with him.

We descended upon Earth and landed in the rose garden. "We first met here…," I mumbled absentmindedly. He nodded but said nothing.

Kunzite held onto my hand and led me deep into the rose garden until I could no longer tell where the path was. After several minutes, we came into a tight clearing, with only enough room for two people. The full moon showed brightly above our heads as he let go of me and turned around.

"Kunzite…?" I asked.

The general faced me again, but he cradled a precious blue rose to his chest. "These are the rarest of all roses on Earth, the Cobalt Beauty. It's rare because of its distinct blue color. There are no other roses like it."

I gingerly touched the petals of the flower. "I've never seen a blue rose before."

"I want you to take it, Minako. Wear it when you wear my blue dress and when you wear this." He gave me the rose and undid his shirt at the top to remove a pendant on a gold chain. He placed it around my neck and I lifted the jewel to look at it.

"This pink spodumene…" I stated, realization hitting me.

"Yes," he said, fastening his shirt, "Kunzite, just like my name." He placed a hand on each of my shoulders and looked me in the eye. "Hold on to it for me, Minako. Never lose it, never take it off, never forget about it."

"W—wait! What's so precious about this stone?" I asked worriedly. His strange behavior was scaring me.

I guess he thought his kiss was answer—or maybe two or three or five or so kisses were an answer. "It," he began, "holds my life." He kissed me once more, as though he had never kissed me before, and pulled away one last time. Kunzite took two steps backward as I looked into his eyes; there was distance in them. I didn't know these eyes.

"What are you saying?" I inquired. I couldn't believe I had been able to form a sentence since I was already crying, but I said it between chokes.

Kunzite's eyes looked so painful. "Do you love me, Minako?" he asked me.

I nodded. "With all my heart!" I asserted upon my realization that, yes, I _did_ love him.

He sighed. "As do I. I love you, Princess Venus." He paused for a split-second. "I fear the next time we meet, Minako. Please," he whispered—he looked to be on the verge of tears himself—"—don't hesitate to kill me." And with one flick of his cape, he was gone.

I went back to my room after that and cried for what seemed like forever to me. I didn't understand anything he had said! I held the pendant close to my heart as I wept day and night. I carried it with me wherever I went and never let it out of my sight. I hoped that I would one day understand his words.

But that day came too soon. About a month later, I was fighting in my Guardian Senshi form, protecting the palace and the princess from invaders. But what pained me the most was that the invaders were from the Earth, led by four generals, one with warm gray eyes.

Oh, Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, look upon your daughter with pride and joy! She had fallen in love for the first time! I was so happy to get the chance, I could not even comprehend that it would also be the last time I fell in love, as well.

**oOoOoOo**

**Did you enjoy "Guardian Venus"? I hope so, even though it was sad. I still need to finish the other guardian stories…hopefully sometime soon!**

**I originally wrote this story in 2006 and now, in 2011, I finally have had the chance to edit it! Back in '06, I had someone else posting my stuff for me, and I never saw how bad the formatting (or lack thereof) looked on the site…**

**So I thank those of you who still read it and loved it, and I hope more people will enjoy this now. Please look forward to more SM fics from me!**

**Thanks for reading and please review.**

**-mew-tsubaki :]**


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